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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25274284">Life and Death of a Cherished Dream</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissIodine/pseuds/MissIodine'>MissIodine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Starbetween Stories [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bajorans, Blood and Gore, Cardassians, Child Death, Death, Gen, Maquis, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:29:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25274284</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissIodine/pseuds/MissIodine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>An innocent Cardassian teenager's life is shattered when a Maquis terrorist attack hits her home. The man behind the attack has to make a difficult decision.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Starbetween Stories [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857370</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Life and Death of a Cherished Dream</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rakelen skipped down a cement pathway to Assa’s housing complex. The streets and a lot of the buildings here in New Sarajevo weren’t Cardassian. They were actually quite odd, built by the humans and Federation citizens who used to live here, before the treaty was signed. It was unfamiliar to say the least, but maybe it wasn’t all bad. Perhaps it was for the best. Maybe this way, Cardassians could begin to understand what the humans are like and the humans could appreciate Cardassian things. Besides, every evening the holoscreen broadcasts showed the members of the Detapa Council always talking about peace and mutual acceptance with other species. Architecture probably wasn’t a bad place to start.</p><p>She turned onto the last block and began up the stairway to the apartments when a familiar girl’s voice came from one of the balconies.</p><p>“Rakelen!” it said.</p><p>Rakelen smiled and looked to meet the voice’s owner, Assa. Assa and Ilora were leaning on the balcony of Assa’s apartment.</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>“We were just talking when we saw you coming down the street!” Assa explained.</p><p>“I was bored at home,” Rakelen shrugged. “Can I hang with you?”</p><p>“Sure!” Assa and Ilora said before they retreated back inside.</p><p>Rakelen finished walking up the last few steps and waited at their dark green oak door.</p><p>Assa opened it and let her friend inside. Rakelen could hear Assa’s mother doing laundry in the back room. She waved a hi to Assa’s grandparents who were sitting in the living room sewing blankets. It wasn’t uncommon for a Cardassian home to house several generations under one roof.</p><p>“We can go upstairs to my room and hang out there if you’d like,” Assa offered as she closed the door behind Rakelen.</p><p>“Sure! What were you two doing before I got here?” Rakelen asked.</p><p>Assa smirked.</p><p>“Oh you know, just beating Ilora in Kotra,” she boasted, “Just as I always do.”</p><p>Ilora squinted at Assa and lightly punched her in the arm.</p><p>“Oh? Just like I always <em>beat</em> you, Assa?” Rakelen joined in.</p><p>They went up the stairs and down the hall to Assa’s bedroom. Assa cleared off the Kotra board and they began setting it up again for a new game.</p><p>“I’ll just watch you two Kotra grandmasters duke it out,” Ilora said, picking up a school PADD. “Besides, I have some studying to do.”</p><p>“Are you still studying Hebitian art?” Rakelen asked, putting her last dalin piece on the board.</p><p>“All she does is study the Hebitians,” Assa said, arranging her capital and agent.</p><p>Ilora clicked her PADD once to get onto the next page.</p><p>“My father says that Cardassia could use more artists,” Ilora replied.</p><p>“My father says we need more soldiers,” Assa said, sitting back, waiting for Rakelen to make the first move. “To fight terrorists.”</p><p>Rakelen moved a garresh forward into the conflict zone between their respective sides.</p><p>“Just like Kotra, huh? Bold, swift, and decisive action?” inquired Rakelen.</p><p>“Exactly,” Assa replied.</p><p>Ilora didn’t say anything. She just kept reading her PADD.</p><p>Only thirty minutes had passed when another knock at the door came.</p><p>“I wonder who that is,” Assa remarked, gathering her friends up.</p><p>They went back down the stairs and opened the front door to Natel, Rakelen’s ten year old little sister--four years younger than her.</p><p>“I knew you were here, Rakelen!” Natel said, “Mom said you have to help me on my homework!”</p><p>Rakelen exhaled sharply and pouted. She always had to tutor Natel with her homework. Mom always said it was her duty to be a ‘good daughter of Cardassia’ and help the family. First and foremost, family is everything, they’d say.</p><p>“Fiiine,” Rakelen groaned, lengthening the word almost as far as her exasperation, “I’ll help you on your homework, but only if you do my chores today and tomorrow.</p><p>Natel stomped her foot. Rakelen thought it must have looked comical to her friends.</p><p>Natel stepped inside and the four of them went back upstairs--Rakelen trying to play Kotra with Assa; Assa looking very satisfied whenever her opponent’s concentration was broken by Natel asking her questions about geology every fifteen seconds; Ilora silently reading. They’d all been there for at least an hour before Ilora spoke up.</p><p>“Ah, I have to go actually. My dad signed me up for art lessons with a family friend, Mr. Toskir.”</p><p>“Ya know, I’ll come with you,” Assa said.</p><p>“Hold on now, Assa, you can’t just leave now. We haven’t finished the game yet!" Rakelen exclaimed. She knew exactly what Assa was trying to do.</p><p>Assa smirked and shrugged.</p><p>“Oh well. I’m going to win anyway. Besides, I wouldn’t wanna dirty your track record as grandmaster champion.”</p><p>Ilora shook her head, laughing softly as she started heading off.</p><p>“We better go before she gets too far, Rakelen,” Assa said as she crossed her arms.</p><p>Rakelen gave a hmph. She deducted the location of Assa’s capital and mines and was about to move in with her legate and garresh pieces. Rakelen knew she would beat her ass next time. The three of them went outside, ready to go.</p><p>“Natel, I’m sure you can finish those last couple questions by yourself. I’ll meet you back home for dinner.”</p><p>“Okie, sis! Mom’s making tojal with extra yamok sauce! Oh and Daddy is coming home from Cardassia later today!”</p><p>Rakelen smiled. With that, Natel skipped down the street back home and Rakelen and Assa went to Ilora’s art teacher’s studio.</p><p>They caught up with her half a block before the shop.</p><p>“Woah,” Ilora said in awe, stopping suddenly.</p><p>“Huh?” Rakelen said, perplexed. Assa poked her head past Rakelen to see what Ilora was referring to.</p><p>Ilora pointed to the art studio’s open garage.</p><p>“That painting, it’s beautiful.” she said, still dazed.</p><p>There were several paintings actually. There were a couple canvases on easels outside the shed for all to see and some inside obscured by shadow.</p><p>“My lesson doesn’t start for another ten minutes and I don’t see my teacher. I wanna check it out,” Ilora continued.</p><p>She made her way to the garage and her friends followed in suit.</p><p>Ilora stopped about one, maybe two meters away, admiring the work. Rakelen didn’t see that much in it. It certainly wasn’t bad at all; it seemed like fine work. Maybe art just wasn’t Rakelen’s forte.</p><p>“Ah, do you like it?” said a man, coming out from the shade of the garage.</p><p>Ilora jumped back half a step. None of them had noticed him resting with his back against a shadowed garage wall.</p><p>“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.” He was fairly young, probably in his late twenties, early thirties wearing a white shirt, grey trousers, and a somewhat paint-stained brown apron. Rakelen thought he looked a little cute, although he was too old for her.</p><p>“Hi, Mr. Toskir!” Ilora beamed.</p><p>“Oh my dear, you don’t need to go about with such titles. Please, just call me Yikom,” the art teacher said with a sincere smile and nod. “I see you’re admiring my latest work. I finished it just last night.”</p><p>“It’s a lovely picture! The oceans you painted are so serene,” Ilora commented.</p><p>“Thank you. Why yes, the oceans here are tranquil as well.” He paused for a moment and gestured to a distant peninsula across the lake past town. “I was having a picnic over there with my wife when the inspiration came to me.”</p><p>“Is it alright if we hang out here too?” Rakelen asked, gesturing to Assa and herself.</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>“Why of course,” he said warmly, before chuckling. "Although, we might make this session a bit of quick one this time. I've an 'appointment' to make in about forty or so minutes."</p><p>They’d barely sat down for five minutes when a piercing boom came from the inner city. Rakelen turned around to see the old Church tower in the plaza crumbling and falling.</p><p>“W-wha…” she could only mutter.</p><p>Far above the city, there was a speck darting quickly downwards. The crowds of people in the marketplace down the road were visibly shocked and confused. The speck grew in size. A shuttlecraft. Rakelen wondered if it was a rescue craft or maybe an ambulance, but it didn’t make sense to be so high in altitude and the response would have been practically instantaneous.</p><p>Without warning, the shuttle fired several beams of orange energy into the town. A swathe was cut into the western end of the marketplace, opposite of Rakelen and the rest of them. Pure pandemonium erupted in the crowds. People began screaming and running for their lives in an attempt to find somewhere safe. Rakelen backed away from the garage’s front entrance.</p><p>The shuttle sped off and came around for another pass, this time firing two photon torpedoes somewhere across town then firing its aft phasers somewhere else. Several other attack ships appeared after the first and each of them rained down chaos. Yikom closed the doors and began covering the windows. His hands were visibly shaking.</p><p>“It-it’s going to be okay, girls. W-we just need to sit tight here and the security forces will protect us,” Yikom said.</p><p>Rakelen couldn’t tell if he was really saying that for their sake or for his. She looked to Assa and Ilora. Assa grabbed a two foot piece of plywood that was lying on the floor and gripped it tight as if ready to fight. Ilora was crying in the corner. Yikom noticed his student at the same time Rakelen did and he tried to comfort her.</p><p>Rakelen was worried about it all. She didn’t know who was attacking or why they were. She wondered if they were going to burst through the door and come kill them too.</p><p>The clock read that only 30 minutes had passed in reality while they all sat petrified with fear, but it felt like hours had passed. Distant screams and sounds of guns and explosions came from overhead and nearby.</p><p>Suddenly, an energy weapon discharge came from the alley behind the garage. All four of them turned to the back door. Rakelen could tell it was locked, but for some reason, it didn’t bolster her sense of safety.</p><p>They waited in silence before someone tried to turn the door handle which didn’t turn very far with the lock in place. Ilora looked like she was about to scream, but Yikom gripped her arm to dissuade her. The intruder waited and seemed like they were about to leave when an energy discharge sparked at the door’s locking mechanism. The door burst open with a kick and a human appeared in its place.</p><p>The human took a half step into the studio. His brown hair was slicked back to reveal sweat lining his face and he wore a denim vest over his bloodstained grey sweater and camouflage patterned pants, but that didn’t compare to his face. It was twisted with anger and he appeared scared at first as if he didn’t mean to discover them, but then a wide smile slapped across his face. He looked utterly insane, deranged, and violent.</p><p>Yikom stood completely in shock for a moment. He gave the girls a frightened look, then turned his gaze back to the human. He leaped in front of them, shouting.</p><p>“No! No, don’t hurt them!”</p><p>The attacker fired his Federation phaser into Yikom, launching him stumbling back into the broad side of a workbench. Yikom looked down at his cauterizing wound with his mouth open then collapsed. Yikom’s open eyes stared upwards at the ceiling. The center of his chest had a smoldering hole, with embers on his apron and shirt that slowly died, fading to burnt cloth and ash.</p><p>Ilora screamed in terror, but Rakelen and Assa were too shocked to do anything but look up at the man.</p><p>He shifted his aim at Rakelen. She could see straight down the muzzle of his pistol.</p><p>This was it, Rakelen thought. She stood afraid and she tried to show her hands, to show that she wasn’t a threat. They were only teenage girls; they couldn’t possibly hurt him, but the intruder must’ve known that.</p><p>Rakelen flinched and shut her eyes when she heard the fire of an energy weapon, but she didn’t feel anything.</p><p>“Fuck!” yelled Yikom’s killer.</p><p>Rakelen opened her eyes, realizing that she was still alive. A familiar, yellow bolt of energy streaked past the man from down the back alleyway. The murderer fired a return shot at whoever was firing then fled out the door in the opposite direction.</p><p>Ilora burst out crying and collapsed. She was unharmed and Rakelen tried to comfort her as best she could, but there wasn’t much to do.</p><p>A team of Cardassian security officers raced past the garage, but one broke off from their unit and entered the studio.</p><p>“I’ll check on these civvies,” he said.</p><p>Evidently, the officer had been busy fighting. His hair was matted and his skin was dirty with grime. He slung his disruptor rifle on his shoulder and scanned Yikom with his tricorder. The reading flatlined and he frowned.</p><p>“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do for him. Was he your father?” he asked, still kneeling beside Yikom.</p><p>Rakelen and Assa shook their heads.</p><p>“N-no,” Ilora choked, tears still streaming down her face, "H-he was my art teacher.”</p><p>“Are any of you hurt?” he inquired.</p><p>The girls all shook their heads in response. The security officer pursed his lips.</p><p>“My name is Arly and I’m here to get you all to safety.” He glanced at Assa who had dropped the board from earlier. “I recognize you. Olesh’s daughter. I serve with him in the Militia. Your father is manning one of the anti air batteries. Once we’ve secured the colony, I’ll take you to him,” he stated.</p><p>Arly walked to Ilora and Rakelen and bent down to meet their height. He put a steady hand on Ilora’s shoulder.</p><p>He continued, “I promise, it’s going to be okay. We’ll get you all safe and sound to your family. I presume you two are sisters?”</p><p>The word ‘sister’ made Rakelen’s heart jump. Her sister. Her family. Rakelen’s mind filled with aching worry and unthinkable thoughts.</p><p>“No,” Ilora said, her voice still quivering, “My name is Ilora Betek a-and this is Rakelen Ki’Dar.”</p><p>“Okay, we need to stay here first then I’ll take you--</p><p>Rakelen didn’t wait for Arly to finish his sentence. She knew that she needed to get home quickly, despite the risks. She worried for her sister and mother. She ran past the security officer before he had a chance to grab her. She flew out the back door and through the alley. Arly stepped out into the alleyway but didn’t chase after her.</p><p>She traversed the blocks between the art studio and her home. Other people ran through the streets. Some buildings had collapsed in the attack, fires burned on every other block. People were screaming. Squads of security officers were trying to control the madness, but unable to stop the panic.</p><p>She arrived to see that her house had managed to fare mostly undamaged, all things considered. Some windows were broken, but the door was open. She ran up the stone pathway, but entered cautiously. She accidentally stepped over some broken glass, making it crinkle underneath her shoes. She froze, wondering if there was anyone hiding here in wait for attack. She dismissed the thought since it wouldn’t make much sense to ambush a random residential home when other places were more suitable. It didn’t make her feel any better, though.</p><p>“Natel?” Rakelen called out, “are you in here? It’s me, Rakelen.”</p><p>Rakelen walked through the house stealthily. The back door was also open. She looked into the backyard to see a broken board on the fence as if someone accidentally kicked it while climbing over, then turned around to close the front door when she saw a humanoid man get up from the ground about 200 meters away and begin sprinting down the street in her direction. Rakelen bolted for the kitchen pantry as it was the closest place to hide. The man might not have seen her because she was probably obscured by the darkness of the room, but she didn’t want to take any chances.</p><p>The man came rushing in, in an obvious panic. He stepped over the same glass Rakelen did. From the crack between the door and door frame, she could see that he obviously wasn’t the same man who Rakelen saw earlier, he was Bajoran and he was older, judging by his graying hair. He sported different clothes too: he looked like he was wearing an old Bajoran Militia uniform. He looked a little more worried than murderous, however, his phaser was drawn. It was clear by his mannerisms that he had the intention of shooting someone.</p><p>He kept looking around for something or someone then his gaze turned to the pantry. He frantically walked to the pantry where Rakelen was hiding, but footsteps came from the next room over and the man turned and shot. A young girl’s voice shrieked. Rakelen turned sheet white and her heart sank.</p><p>“No, no…” he said.</p><p>He muttered something else that Rakelen couldn’t make out. He looked at his phaser in his hand and took one step forward, but shook his head and ran out of the back door.</p><p>The moment Rakelen couldn’t hear him anymore, she burst out of the pantry, unable to contain herself. She saw what he had shot and it was exactly what Rakelen feared. She dropped to her knees beside Natel who laid among some debris. Natel had a phaser wound on her upper chest.</p><p>“R-Rakelen…” she whispered.</p><p>“Natel, Natel, no no no. Please don’t go. Please stay with me. Natel, you’re gonna be okay, you’re gonna be okay,” Rakelen tried to say, tears forming at her eyes and flowing down her face.</p><p>Natel grabbed Rakelen’s arm and Rakelen held her hand against herself. She could feel Natel’s grip weakening then become nothing. She was holding Natel’s hand, gripping it hard, hoping for a miracle. It didn’t come. Natel’s eyes began to close. Rakelen could do nothing. Natel’s eyes didn’t open back up.</p><p>“No...Natel…”</p><p>Rakelen weeped over Natel. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but the afternoon turned to dusk. By that time, she’d run out of tears and just somberly gazed at her sister’s lifeless body.</p><p>A Cardassian soldier came to the house to take her to the command center where her father was, advising the colonial militia leaders as a military tactician. The soldier repeatedly told her that her sister was gone, but she refused to leave Natel, until the soldier physically pulled her away after an unfathomable amount of time.</p><p>A transport truck took them to the command center. The soldier brought her to the central operations room, where her father, wearing his gul’s uniform, wearily gave Rakelen a hug. Rakelen felt empty and couldn’t manage to wrap her arms around him.</p><p>“Rakelen, I was so worried about you. I’m relieved you’re safe. I-I love you. We’re going to get through this, I promise.”</p><p>The words registered, but Rakelen’s head was turned to the side at a nearby wall monitor. It contained an open file on the raid’s leader. High Value Terrorist B-189. Okon Gale. The picture showed the same man who killed Natel. Anger boiled in Rakelen’s veins. All she wanted was to make him pay. Okon Gale wouldn’t get away with his crimes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. End of a Cause</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Set during chapter 1.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“The attack shall commence at 04:00 hours. Remember, we’re taking out the armories with weapon stockpiles and disabling sensor arrays only. We’ll hit them hard and fast before they realize what’s up. Strike Team 1 will take two runabouts through the Eastern Pass and Team 2 will take a wing of interceptors--” Okon Gale stopped when he saw his protege, Xavier Wallace, sitting against one of the cave walls with his head down and a PADD in his hand. “Kastin, take over for me. I must attend to some matters quickly.”</p><p>Okon left the briefing area to check on Xavier. When he got closer he could see some dried tears on the former Starfleet officer’s face. Xavier’s knuckles were white as he clutched the PADD.</p><p>“Xavier?” Okon asked, kneeling down.</p><p>“They’re dead, Okon. My family is dead,” Xavier muttered, not bothering to look up. “The spoonheads killed them.”</p><p>Okon grimaced. This was all too common for Maquis members and resistance fighters.</p><p>“I’m so so sorry, Xavier.”</p><p>Xavier threw down the PADD and met Okon’s gaze with red eyes.</p><p>“They’re all dead!” he screamed with rage, “I swear to every single god there is. I’m gonna kill every last one of them.”</p><p>Xavier stormed out with that last promise. Okon turned around to the briefing attendees, who were staring in his direction after the outburst. He waved them back to the meeting.</p><p>Okon picked up the PADD, now with a cracked screen. It displayed a news article--“‘Civilian Freighter Destroyed in DMZ Aggression.’ At approximately 23:00 local time, a Cardassian patrol cruiser opened fire on and destroyed the SS Abbot leaving Portas V after it refused to be boarded and searched. Federation diplomats condemn Central Command’s failure to regulate colonial militias.” He remembered Xavier telling him several months ago that his family started hauling cargo near the Badlands--on the Abbot. </p><p>It was possible that the Federation might impose new sanctions, but it didn’t take a warp theorist to understand the Federation didn’t give one damn about what happened here. They’d abandoned them, leaving them at the mercy of the Cardassians. As a Bajoran freedom fighter, Okon knew the extent of what Cardassian monsters did to people. Luckily, other people realized that and joined in the fight--joined the Maquis, that is. People like Xavier.</p><p>Okon met Xavier’s stepfather almost ten years ago. He told him that Xavier grew up in the colonies and joined Starfleet the moment he could, hoping to see the galaxy and ‘explore new worlds and new civilizations.’ When the corrupt and disconnected Federation happily handed over the colonies, Xavier realized his mistake and deserted their military arm and found his chance to fight for something that was right and noble.</p><p>Okon put the PADD back down just as the briefing ended. He thanked Kastin for covering for him and made his way into the deeper sections of the base to think more quietly. He found a boulder to sit on near the back entrance to the asteroid’s cave complex. </p><p>He’d been there for a few hours now, just staring at his shoes and deep in thought. He took small sips of kanar from a spiral bottle, a bad habit he picked up years ago. It was ironically amusing to him that he could actually enjoy the most popular drink of his mortal enemies. The Prophets had an interesting sense of humor. He could only imagine what the others would think if they saw him drinking kanar.</p><p>Some echoing footsteps grew closer and Okon shoved the bottle into his coat.</p><p>“Something wrong with your boots, sir?” Xavier asked, coming to a stop near to him.</p><p>Okon broke out of his trance and tilted his head up to meet Xavier’s gaze.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Xavier said, shaking his head and pursing his lips, “Listen, I can tell you’re uneasy about me. I know I can get really heated, but listen, I’ve cooled off. Don’t worry about me.”</p><p>“What gives you the impression I’m worried?” </p><p>“I’ve been learning from you for four years now. I know the look on your face when you’re worried,” he replied. “Besides, you’ve bigger things to worry about. You’re the Hero of Meros II! Or if you prefer what the Cardies call you, ‘High Value Terrorist B-189.’ You should be thinking about the battle that’s coming.’”</p><p>Okon let out a hollow chuckle. </p><p>“Meros II. It’s been a while since then. I was younger, twenty years younger. Not even thirty yet,” Okon admitted.</p><p>Xavier’s brow furrowed. Okon could practically see the young hothead’s gears grinding.</p><p>“I hope you’re not having second thoughts about this--killing spoonheads.”</p><p>“We’re not going there just to kill Cardassians. This is strategic. The target is their fighting capability. Weapons, equipment, guard posts. As a former Starfleet officer, you should know that this will give us the advantage we need,” Okon said to Xavier, standing up to meet Xavier’s height, to show him he was still in charge. Okon knew he had to remind him who he was dealing with, a resistance fighter, a liberator, a Bajoran, but most importantly, the Hero of Meros II.</p><p>“We’re gonna keep invaders away from our land. We’re going to fight against a ruthless enemy who would like nothing more than to kill us all. You taught us how to win against the spoonheads...And if you don’t have the heart to lead us anymore, I’ll gladly take the reins.”</p><p>“Is that some kind of threat?”</p><p>Xavier blew some air through his mouth and held out his hands.</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know. Is it?” he asked, getting in Okon’s face.</p><p>Okon grabbed the neck of Xavier’s shirt.</p><p>“I’ve fought the damn spoonheads longer than you’ve been alive, Xavier. We’re strong when united against the Cardassians. Don’t let anger overcome you. If you can’t control yourself, you’re not coming on this operation.”</p><p>Okon let go of Xavier harshly, shoving him back.</p><p>Xavier looked like he was about to fight Okon, but he stopped and stormed out to the common areas. Okon sighed wearily, sitting back on his boulder. He knew he couldn’t stay forever. Sooner or later, he’d have to go to bed. The Maquis had a long day ahead of them tomorrow.</p><p>The next morning, Okon awoke and put on his old Bajoran Militia uniform and boots. He grabbed his Bajoran phaser from a storage locker to put in his holster, then marched out to the hanger bay. His shoulders were up. His posture was straight. It was the look of a hero striding valiantly to the coming fray. He saw Xavier board his shuttle, slicking back his brown hair with his hand and wearing his lucky denim vest and signature camo pants.</p><p>Four single seat interceptors, modified by Maquis hands, and two stolen Federation runabouts were prepped and ready. Okon greeted the interceptor pilots, wishing them well on their mission. Okon would be piloting the command runabout and Xavier would be the front vanguard in the lead runabout. He was still unsure about his protege, but he dismissed the most outrageous of his concerns. Surely, Xavier might be rash, but he wouldn’t jeopardize the mission. Regardless, he decided to talk to Xavier again.</p><p>Okon entered through the runabout hatch and leaned on one of the rear seats. Xavier was already at the helm.</p><p>“Hey. How’re you holding up, Mr. Wallace?”</p><p>Xavier didn’t bother to turn around and he continued going through his pre-flight checklist like he hadn’t heard Okon.</p><p>“I know you’re angry. You have every right to be,” Okon appealed. “But we just need to hold it together for this one mission, then you can have all the time you need to mourn.”</p><p>“Your concern is touching,” Xavier said, swiveling his chair around, “but unnecessary. I’m fine and that’s final.” </p><p>Okon nodded solemnly. </p><p>“Good luck.”</p><p>“You too, Gale. You too.”</p><p>Xavier went back to his checklist and Okon left to board his shuttle. </p><p>Xavier’s guidance thrusters sprung to life and he maneuvered out of the asteroid base. Okon followed his protege’s flight course and the interceptors followed directly behind him in a tight column. So far so good. They plotted a course for the New Sarajevo colony, one of the colonies where the former Federation residents were swapped with their Cardassian counterparts, and went to warp 4.</p><p>They arrived in New Sarajevo’s orbit in three hours. Okon signalled the team to begin approaching their targets. Armories and sensor arrays. Quick and surgical. Then leave before the Cardassians know what hit them and activate their defense grid. </p><p>The strike team entered the colony world’s atmosphere and approached the main settlement. All was going according to plan until Xavier’s weapons powered up prematurely. They weren’t supposed to activate until they were within fifty kilometers of the weapons depot and they were a good few minutes before then.</p><p>Okon opened a channel to him, suspecting that there might have been a power fluctuation or a sensor glitch. But before he could say anything, Xavier broke formation and fired over the city, cutting down a cathedral tower in the center of town.</p><p>“Check your fire, check your fire!!! Those aren’t military targets! Those aren’t our targets!”</p><p>Xavier’s shuttle continued firing at the town, aiming for the largest crowds. </p><p>“Xavier!” Okon lunged to the phaser controls. “Stand down! Stand down or I’ll open fire on your ship!”</p><p>The lead runabout made an evasive maneuver upwards, escaping the Okon’s forward beam array arc. Okon performed an abrupt 180° then attempted to reestablish target lock on Xavier’s weapons subsystem. He didn’t want to leave him stranded here by taking out engines or other critical systems. Before he could fire anything, Xavier fired on his ship, causing moderate damage to his starboard shields. </p><p>Okon was taken by surprise, but dogfighting wasn’t new to him. Back in the Bajoran Resistance, he was one of the best pilots in his cell. He even took out a whole Hideki-class by himself once in a sub-impulse raider. A Federation shuttlecraft vs another would be a piece of mapa bread.</p><p>He redistributed his shields and fired a volley of busts from his phaser bank to a point just below Xavier’s main deflector. Sensors read a direct hit. Xavier’s shields were down to 30% already. Okon prepared to open fire again when a spiral wave disruptor salvo impacted his ventral plating. The Cardassians’ response was quicker than anticipated—anti air from those types of cannons would make quick work of any small craft. The strike had to be called off immediately. </p><p>Okon tried to hail Xavier again, to warn him, but there was no response. The moment he looked up from his console, Xavier was making a bee line straight for him from the front. Xavier activated a tachyon beam, draining his shields with the blue stream. </p><p>“No, no, Xavier, don't do this!”</p><p>Xavier’s weapons must have been on maximum power. Xavier then fired a torpedo at him. It was coming right towards him with red hot, blinding energy. Okon panicked and fired everything, hoping to hit the torpedo before it blew him to a smoldering pile of wreckage.</p><p>He missed the torpedo with every shot, but several of his beams and torpedos managed to hit Xavier’s shuttle, sending it careening to the left with black smoke trailing it.</p><p>He transferred auxiliary power to the engines and tried to get out of the way, but the torpedo was too small and too fast. It hit his ship, causing almost every EPS conduit to fracture and explode. Sparks erupted all over the cockpit. His displays flashed with alarms. The starboard nacelle, impulse engines, and maneuvering thrusters were completely destroyed. There was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as his runabout spiraled to the ground. He caught another glimpse of Xavier’s shuttle; it too was losing altitude rapidly. The next thing Okon knew was his shuttle crashing into the outskirts of the colony. </p><p>Okon awoke sprawled out of the floor of the runabout. He checked his watch. He’d been unconscious for less than five minutes. Monitors and consoles were either blinking with emergency lights or were dark and broken. He sprung to his feet, mostly unharmed except for aches, cuts, and bruises. He still had his phaser and he knew that Xavier must’ve also crash landed nearby. He knew he had to stop Xavier from his rampage or he’d get himself killed along with more Cardassian civilians. Despite how much he despised Cardassians, he didn’t want needless bloodshed. </p><p>Okon pulled the emergency release and kicked out the runabout hatch. He jumped the several foot drop onto the ground and rushed to where he’d seen Xavier’s ship last. There was hardly anyone around the backstreets, but he knew he had to be cautious. This place would be swarming with Cardassian soldiers soon. </p><p>Ships flew overhead, their engines screeching. It was the Maquis interceptors. They were firing on the town as they flew past. They must’ve received orders from Xavier to switch targets to the civilian population. Everything was going wrong. The situation was turning from worse to worst.</p><p>He turned a corner and saw the burning wreck of the other runabout. It had crashed into the edge of a public park. Okon sprinted to it, but before he could get to it, he saw Xavier climbing out of the port hatch, with some blood on his sweater and coughing.</p><p>Xavier looked up and saw him. Anger and surprise were on his face. He pulled out the standard issue phaser he kept from his Starfleet days and shot at Okon. </p><p>Okon threw himself to the ground behind some debris and returned fire. He missed and Xavier took off running towards town. Okon got up and ran after him. </p><p>“Xavier stop! You’re gonna get himself killed, god dammit!” Okon shouted after him. </p><p>Xavier was much younger than he was and he was subsequently faster. The distance between them grew to almost a hundred meters when Xavier took a sharp turn down an alleyway. </p><p>Okon moved to continue pursuing him before he stopped and hid in an empty shop when he saw a squad of Cardassian security officers running down the street in his direction. He ducked quickly so they didn’t see him. Okon kept watch from the darkness to see where they went. He knew neither he nor Xavier would win in a fight against so many of them. </p><p>They seemed to be continuing forward, but a phaser discharge came from the alley Xavier went in. The security officers switched direction and dashed to the alley as another phaser shot came. A moment after the first security officer turned the corner into the alley, they fired a disruptor rifle. </p><p>When the last security officer went into the alley, Okon sprinted down the street parallel to the alley, hoping Xavier was smart enough to run instead of stay and fight. </p><p>Okon regretted wearing his old Bajoran uniform. Its dark red colors made him stick out like a sore thumb against the sand colored buildings. </p><p>Then Okon caught a glimpse of Xavier escaping down another road. He seemed to have lost the Cardassian security forces and was making his way to a residential district. </p><p>Okon pursued. He saw Xavier burst through a door to a relatively spacious two story house when he tripped over a pothole in the street. He cursed himself for the clumsy error, then ran to the house, hoping that it was only a sprain and that he didn’t waste too much time.</p><p>Okon climbed up the stone pathway and entered through the doorway. It was dark inside. He stepped over some broken glass and went into the kitchen. He could see the back door was open, but it might’ve already been open or it was a ruse. He knew Xavier might be hiding inside the house somewhere, but he needed to check quickly since Xavier might have indeed gone out the back. He looked around himself for hiding places that Xavier might’ve tried. Maybe the pantry. </p><p>He frantically walked to the pantry door when he heard footsteps to his left. He instinctively turned and fired. Whatever he hit shrieked. When he realized what he shot, his jaw dropped. It was a small Cardassian child. She looked to her upper chest where the phaser impacted, probably unable to comprehend what just happened. She took one step back and fell down.</p><p>“No, no…” he said, “...I-I didn’t...mean to...I’m so sorry...”</p><p>Nothing could compare to the horror he felt. He was too shocked to do anything. He looked at the phaser in his hand and back at the little girl. She couldn’t have been more than 10 years old. He gagged, feeling sick, but his stomach was empty. Okon took a step forward, wanting to try his best to save her, but he realized that it would be hopeless. The phaser has been set to kill and Okon knew the chance of her survival was miniscule. He also knew that there was no way he could let Xavier escape.</p><p>Okon squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to think of a quick prayer then sped out the back door. Xavier must’ve immediately gone through the house and hopped the fence. Okon began to also scale the fence. The moment he was about to drop to the other side, he took one last look at the girl he’d just killed. He could see her on the ground, but there was someone else in the house with her. It was another Cardassian girl, kneeling beside her. Okon cursed himself again under his breath and kept moving. </p><p>If Xavier wanted to inflict the most casualties, he would’ve gone to the most populated areas of the town—the central plaza. Okon made his way there. He could see Xavier standing on top of the rubble that was the Church’s severed tower on the ground. He was firing his weapon at anything that moved. </p><p>“Xavier!” Okon screamed as he scrambled to the rubble and onto it. He wanted to try every option before he killed his friend.</p><p>Xavier stopped for a moment and aimed his phaser at Okon. Okon stopped at the last step. Xavier didn’t shoot. He lowered his phaser slightly and flashed a deranged grin. </p><p>“Oh, Okon. How nice it is to see you…”</p><p>“You have to stop now! We have to get out of here while we still can! What you’re doing is wrong! We don’t kill innocent civilians!” Okon said, climbing the piece of debris.</p><p>“None of them are innocent,” Xavier replied, turning back the central plaza and raising his gun. “All of the Cardassians, all of them, are monsters and murderers. And I’m going to finally put a stop to it all. Look at them all scurry and cower before they die. It’s more than they deserve.”</p><p>Xavier's face grew into an even wider smile and he aimed his phaser at a fleeing Cardassian. Okon’s heartbeat pounded at a million beats per minute in his chest. He still had his own phaser in his hand. Its power cell was still charged and humming with energy. Time seemed to slow down for him. Okon raised his phaser at Xavier’s back.</p><p>“No. No, it’s not. You’re the monster,” Okon said. He pulled the trigger as hard he could. </p><p>The ray of energy traveled into Xavier’s back, making him cry out. Xavier dropped his phaser and turned. His face was full of surprise and his mouth was ajar. He fell backwards into the pile of debris and bricks below. </p><p>Okon stood at the edge of the broken church tower and looked down. Xavier was dead. His protege, a man he knew and cherished, his friend was dead. Okon’s heart ached and it was as if his pagh died inside of him. He felt that no amount of reassurance could really prove to him that things had to end this way.</p><p>There were only two Maquis ships still flying overhead. The others were likely shot down. Okon knew he had to contact them and tell them to break off their attack, try to salvage what little they had left, but he had no communicator. He also had to get off this rock. The runabout shuttles were completely fried so they were of no use. He hurried to the nearest starport, hoping that he could hotwire or hijack anything that could get him away from here.</p><p>On his way, he managed to change his clothes with a public replicator and cover his face with a cloth. He saw a civilian freighter, probably an evac ship, preparing for departure and boarded it when he saw its cargo bay door closing. He unhooked a vent and climbed inside, working his way into the darker sections of it to stowaway. It was sloppy work by Okon’s standards but he didn’t have any other options. Luckily, no one decided to vent the compartment with warp plasma or sweep with the internal sensors while he was inside. </p><p>Okon knew he was done. He was done fighting. He’d had enough fighting, seen enough horrors, and been through enough pain for several lifetimes over. This was it. He entertained the idea of escaping to a far away world to start a farm and bring life to a desolate world. Somewhere where he could cause no harm. It was silly. Okon doubted whether he could atone for what he’d done over his years, especially here. But wherever or whatever his place was, it wasn’t here.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my first published work, so any feedback would be appreciated! I'm planning to write more about these characters, so if anyone likes them, I'd be happy to share :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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